Part Of Me
by azngurlenluv
Summary: Chihiro has nothing left for her in the human world and finds herself back in the Spirit World where Haku has not been seen ever since she left...
1. Part 1: The Call

**_Chapter 1: The Call_**

_By, azngurlenluv_

**A/N**: This is my first written and posted lemon. Of course, there's no lemon YET, but I've already written the lemon scene and just need to do the chapters before and after it. I know, I'm a bit twisted, but I can never work in order, always from the middle or the end. I got the idea of using the song "Never Had a Dream Come True" by S Club 7 from reading "I Will Always Be With You" by TheGoddessofDeath. She made a random comment about that song being a good SA song, so I went and listened to it. It almost made me cry, just like every other time I listen to it, but indeed, it seems to fit perfectly with SA and my ideas. I would appreciate it if you would R&R. Constructive criticism is most appreciated, and it wouldn't hurt to know that SOMEONE out there is enjoying my writing. If you must flame, please don't make it stupid by saying something like, "S Club 7 SUCKS!!!" The people in the group might for all I know, but one should learn to appreciate music for what it's worth and not by who performs it. Flames are good if they are to help me focus on my weak areas, and no, I don't mean my taste in music. =P

**Disclaimer:** The song "Never Had a Dream Come True" belongs to S Club 7 and their producers, managers, etc. Spirited Away and all related references belong to the **great Hayao Miyazaki and the people of Studio Ghibli. I own nothing but the ideas that run through my head, and even they are probably being monitored by the CIA… o_O**

Please enjoy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

She lay there on her bed as her eyes gazed up at the ceiling. Her parents had gone out, leaving her free to mope around without their worrying. Her eyes closed as she focused on the words of the song that she had put on repeat for the hundredth time.

_Everybody's got somethin'_

_They had to leave behind_

_One regret__ from yesterday_

_That just seems to grow with time_

Memories of him filled her head, and she thought of how she'd left him standing there on those steps, of how she'd allowed his hand to slip out of hers when she should have pulled him along…

_There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'_

_How it could've been now or might've been_

_Oh, this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go_

She wished that she'd had the guts to have looked back and given him one last final smile and see his before disappearing behind the swells of grass that had dotted the landscape… How she wished to see his smile once again…

_I never had a dream come true_

_Till the day that I found you_

_Even though I pretend that I've moved on_

_You'll always be_

_My baby_

_I never found the words to say,_

_"You're the one I think about each day"_

_And I know no matter where life takes me to_

_A part of me will always be_

_With you…___

Tears sprang into her eyes as she remembered how he had protected her from being spotted the first time she'd entered his world, how wonderful his breath had felt against her skin… 

_Somewhere in my memory_

_I've lost all sense of time_

_And soon my world can never be_

_'Cause yesterday is all that fills my mind_

_There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'_

_How it should've been now or might've been_

_Oh, this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go…_

She had tried so hard to forget, to stop the pain that still burned in her heart after 10 long years… But the image of his eyes, his rare smile, and the feel of his hand on her own had long since been engraved into her mind…

_I never had a dream come true_

_Till the day that I found you_

_Even though I pretend that I've moved on_

_You'll always be_

_My baby_

She'd never allowed herself to cry over him in the presence of her parents, or anyone remotely close to her. She'd always pretended to be happy, just for the sake of those around her…

_I never found the words to say_

_"You're the one I think about each day"_

_And I know no matter where life takes me to_

_A part of me will always be-_

_You'll always be the dream that fills my head_

_Yes you will_

_Say you will_

_You know you will, oh baby_

_You'll always be the one I know I'll never forget_

She'd spent all of her teen years seeing him, hearing him, and even breathing in his scent. She'd always thought that she felt him nearby and would whirl around to see either empty space or some stranger who just stared at her awkwardly. She'd turned down people who asked her out, always believing that one day, he would come for her. People had begun to snub her because they'd thought that she believed herself better than everyone else…

_There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'_

_Because love is a strange and funny thing_

_No matter how I try and try_

_I just can't say "Goodbye"_

_No, no, no, no…_

She loved him then, as much as she did now. Love was indeed a funny thing… No matter how much the memory of him hurt had her, it made her love him even more…

_I never had a dream come true_

_Till the day that I found you_

_Even though I pretend that I've moved on_

_You'll always be_

_My baby_

_I never found the words to say_

_"You're the one I think about each day"_

_And I know no matter where life takes me to_

_A part of me will always be-_

_A part of me_

_Will always be_

_With you…___

As the song began again, she allowed the tears to flow freely from her glistening eyes. "Haku…" she sobbed into her pillow again and again. She longed to be in his arms again as she hugged the pillow closely to her body, imagining that it was indeed him that she held in her arms. She wiped her tears away as she heard the phone ring in the hallway. She gingerly made her way out into the hall and to the phone, sniffling and hugging her blue pillow as she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked in a scratchy voice. 

"Hello?" came a tentative voice on the other end of the line.

Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Hello, Ogino residence." 

"Miss Chihiro Ogino?" the voice asked again on the other end.

"This is she."

"This is Officer Miyami Roshi of the Okinawa Police."

"Yes?" Chihiro answered, eyes widening.

"With my most sympathetic apologies, I regret to inform you that at 9:41pm earlier this evening, your parents were forced off of a narrow road and into a tree by a drunk and reckless driver. He has since been caught and charged with involuntary manslaughter."

Chihiro bit back a strangled gasp. "Do you mean that my parents are…?"

"I'm very sorry Miss Ogino, but they both died on impact when their car hit the tree."

~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** **ducks** Please don't kill me for leaving you with a cliffhanger!!! It's called drawing the audience in, although I don't believe that I wrote this chapter very well… I've started on the second part, but I don't think I'll post again until I see that I've gotten 5-10 reviews. I know that's kind of like blackmail, but I want this to be read and to not just sit there and take up bandwidth. And no, reviewing more than once will not count. I know I'm being evil and sort of bitchy, but even someone like me needs to have her ego stroked once in awhile… o_O Oh, and if you like Hey Arnold!, I'd like your opinion on the fic that I've written under that category. It's called "Cheese Puff." It's mostly cutesy stuff between Arnold and Helga... Sorry, gotta advertise!


	2. Part 2: Blind Path

**_Chapter 2: Blind Path_**

_By, azngurlenluv_

**A/N:** **squeals** Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I was jumping around my room when I got my first few reviews, heheh…  This is the first ongoing fic that I actually feel a need to continue, and it's all thanks to you wonderful people who took the minute or two to review! =D But I feel bad cuz I sort of broke my promise… I got more than 10 reviews by the time I got to post this, so that's sort of a promise gone down the drain… I feel flattered though, so thank you all very, very much. ^^

TeaRoses: 1st person to review!!! **hugs** Thank you!!!

ElvenPrincessOfLegolas: I **did **reload the chapter, but not only because of that spelling mistake. I corrected some grammatical errors as well. Thanks much for your long review!!!

Ivy: Please don't kill me!!! **cowers** I'm sure many of you are wondering this, but the reason I made Chihiro have such a sad event happen to her was because I needed to have somewhere to put her parents and friends, if she had any. Other fanfic writers just leave the people in her life as a little thing for you to worry about when you have time, but I can't stand to do that in something that I created myself. So, I killed off her parents and made her a social outcast so that she wouldn't have anyone to worry about when she crosses over to Spirit World. And really, of course one would be sad in the case of unfulfilled love if the feeling is strong enough to take over your entire life, right? Or are my words falling on deaf ears/ blind eyes? Haku WILL make his debut!!! I can't say it'll be soon, but of course he's going to be in this fic! It's a C&H romance after all!!!

TO EVERYONE!!!: Thanks SO much for reviewing!!! **huggles** This first group of reviewers will always be kept somewhere in my mind! ^^ You know who you are!!!

**Disclaimer:** Once again, I do not own Spirited Away or any other related references. They all belong to the mind of Hayao Miyazaki and the people at Studio Ghibli… I WOULD settle for having Haku, but then again, so does the majority of the teen female population who's actually seen the movie in its entirety. =D

Once again, please lose yourself in my universe of words…

~*~*~*~*~*~

The front door to the house was left wide open to the summer night, and the lights in the hallways and a bedroom were left on. The phone receiver was hanging off the hook with a repetitive beeping noise reverberating from the earpiece, and a blue pillow lay on the ground next to the table that the phone was situated on. Music flowed from the one lit bedroom, but there was no one in the house when the police arrived to bring the Oginos' daughter to the police station for all of the paperwork that she had to fill out.

~*~*~

All that could be heard throughout the stillness of the summer night was the sound of the rustling of grass as bare human feet flew across them. She knew nothing but the pain that she felt and the sadness that flowed from her eyes. 

_"… forced off of a narrow road… involuntary manslaughter… both died on impact…"_

Those cursed words ran throughout her mind over and over again as her feet took her to God knows where…

'Why…?' she thought to herself, 'Why, when they were all that I had left in this forsaken world…?'

She didn't even realize that she was running until she tripped on a loose twig and fell face-first to the ground. She lay there for awhile, her breathing ragged and the muscles in her legs burning with overexertion. Tears flowed once again from her brown eyes as her body was once again wracked with sobs. 

There was a bright flash of lightning, followed by thunder that growled Chihiro's frustration for all of the nightlife to hear. Rain fell from the sky into the stifling summer night as if the heavens grieved for her misfortune as well. There was nothing left. There was nothing to live for in this stupid world of unfairness. _This world…_

The sounds that came from her ceased in an instant as the sky continued its protest on the unfairness of her life. _This world... Thoughts ran through her head as the phrase repeated itself in her mind. _This world…_ Realization struck her as suddenly as the news of her parents' death did. __She didn't have to stay in this world…_

She slowly looked up through her bangs as lightning flashed once again. It illuminated the short little figure that she had landed in front of. Recognition crossed her face, and she pushed herself up into a sitting position to stare at the statue that had greeted her and her parents when they'd gotten lost 10 years ago. 

She almost smiled despite the tragic event that had just occurred in her life. Although she'd lost all sense of reality, her heart had known all along where she longed to be and had guided her accordingly. She stood up on her wobbly legs and made her way to the tunnel while the rain continued to soak itself into her bones. 

A sense of nostalgia passed over her as she entered the pitch-black tunnel. She remembered how she had clung to her mother's arm as her father went ahead, how she had had a feeling of foreboding as they had advanced further and further into the tunnel. The memory made her smile and cry all at the same time. How hopeless her father used to be, but oh, how she missed him and her mother already… 

She emerged from the tunnel into the room that held the benches and the lone fountain. Lightning struck once again, allowing her to make out the vague outlines of the benches as she weaved her way in between them and through the room. She ran her hands lightly over the back of a bench and rubbed her fingers together, the dust a reminder of all the time that had passed. 

She came out into the rain once again, but she could have cared less. She was just that much closer to the Spirit World, the bathhouse, her friends… and Haku… She trekked across the rolling hills, slipping now and then because of the wet grass, but she still kept herself from falling. As she came to the top of a hill, lightning lit up the area so that she could, for an instant, see her surroundings. The river was filled, but it was somewhat shallow. She guessed that the reason it was shallow was because it was close to daylight. 

The lights of the small town across the river made their presence known through the oppressive blanket of night, and she used them as her guide as she descended from the top of the hill and plunged into the water. She was soaked, so it mattered not to her if she was to get a little bit wetter. 

As she reached the steps upon which the statue of a frog sat, she collapsed upon the gray stone, her body exhausted from the amount of energy that she'd used throughout the night to run, cry, and swim. She turned on her back and looked up at the night sky. It had ceased to rain as suddenly as it had begun, and the clouds began to part to reveal the sky of a coming dawn. The lights of the town began to dim, and there was a flurry of beings that rushed to get inside or back to the areas that they ruled over. 

She just lied there, listening to the rush of beings that passed all around her. She heard the sound of the ferry pulling away from the dock, taking the spirits within it back to their rightful places. A soft breeze blew and caressed her cheek as she lay there, sprawled across the gray stone. Her eyes were closed, and she was almost to the point of passing out from being sleep-deprived and fatigued. She could feel her body getting warmer and warmer as she began burning up. 

She heard the sound of footsteps gently making their way across the ground. Someone gave a slight gasp, and the footsteps began to approach her at a quicker pace. She felt someone stop next to her and sniff the air in a rapid manner. 

"A human!!!" she heard a female voice exclaim, "You're not supposed to be here!"

Chihiro gave a weak moan and moved to cover her face with her forearm. Her head throbbed as her body started burning up even more. She felt a cool hand come to rest upon her forehead and jerk away as it felt the heat that emanated from her forehead.

"You're burning up!" the voice said in great urgency, "I've got to do something about you; I can't just leave you here!" 

The voice sounded all too familiar… It had a saucy quality that made it sound a bit whiny as well… Chihiro felt herself being gathered into the arms of the someone that was by her side. She strained to open her eyes to see the one who was kind enough to help her in a world where humans were despised. As her blurry vision focused a little bit, she could just make out the face of the one who was helping her. 

"Sen?!" the voice exclaimed as its owner got a better look at the human in her arms.

"Lin…" Chihiro whispered as her memory finally came up with a name for the face that gazed worriedly at her own. Her world then turned into blackness as the fever took over her. She fainted and came to rest in a dreamworld where her parents were still alive and happy and her one true love was by her side… 

~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** Sorry, another cliffhanger… This chapter took me awhile to write. I had no idea where I wanted to go… I made the lightning come at **such convenient times, didn't I? ^^ I have some ideas spinning around my head, so it might take awhile before the next chapter is posted. I said **might**! I'll try to get it up ASAP, but if you don't see it up before the beginning of July, please don't expect anything from me until August because I have to visit my grandparents for an entire month. They don't have a computer, but hell, I promise that if that happens, I'll do some mass posting whenever I get back because I still have the tools that we call pens and paper. And one more thing: I always try to keep my promises, so don't come after me with a knife! ;_; **


	3. Part 3: Incomplete Reunion

**Chapter 3: Incomplete ****Reunion******

_By, azngurlenluv_

**A/N: **I would have uploaded this sooner, but something was either wrong with my computer or my account… Ff.net wouldn't let me load… Anyways… Woo!!! I actually got Chapter 3 done!!! I've surprised myself, hehe… Halfway through this, I really got some momentum, so it turned out better than I thought it would. I actually sort of have this whole thing planned out!!! That still won't save me from writer's block, though… Thanks very much to those who took the time to review! Much appreciation from me! 

ElvenPrincessOfLegolas: The wait was cut short! Thanks for your review! I'm very flattered… //^_^// -(supposed to be a blush…)

Jadae Boyd: The reason that I made Chihiro so "pathetic" was because I like to think that the love that she shares with Haku is a strong and everlasting bond. Maybe I should have warned you that I myself am a hopeless romantic, and like I said before, unfulfilled love is a sad thing and can move people to tears despite the fact that they have been apart in terms of distance and a lot of time. About the Lin/Rin thing, the only way I can even watch Spirited Away is in Japanese with subtitles on it. But the thing is, you probably watched it with the 1st set of subtitles that comes up when you turn them on if you have the same kind of DVD that I do. These subtitles follow the English script and have the sound effects shown because they are for the hearing impaired. The subtitles I read when I watch it is the 2nd set that pops up when you push the subtitle button a second time. These subtitles follow the original Japanese script and don't show any of the sound effects, and it is from that script that I based my story. Plus, I checked the spelling with ElvenPrincessOfLegolas, and she confirmed that I had it right. 

Raye-Rei: Sorry, but you're going to have to wait on the Haku/Chihiro seeing each other again thing… =(

ennovymoon: The lemon chapter? Hmmm… It all depends on where this story goes. If I decide to keep it short, then the lemon chapter will be towards the end, short meaning 

about 5 or 6 chapters. If I figure that I want to extend it, I'd add a chapter that contains lots of fluff or add another lemon chapter… **returns perverted smile** But then again, I'm starting to get the most-feared disease that we call writer's block, so it's still all up to my mind and when it decides to get its creative juices flowing… 

GundamNymph: This is another chapter, and it's a bit longer than usual, so hah! I'm saved from your plot bunnies! For now… Wait, what's a plot bunny??? ?_?

TeaRoses: Well, you didn't have to wait as long as I thought, and Lin is in this chapter!

Silenceisnotanoption: I've read your story, and although I haven't seen all of Cowboy Bebop, I think it's very good. I haven't reviewed yet, but I will!!! 

Robin, Harpie138, Adam 'Sexy Boy' Laurent, Blue, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, Kitty Sweetheart, Joan Mistress of Magic, accursed-angel:  Woo!!! I posted!!! Here's an update!!! **backs away from Harpie138** Put away that butcher knife! You could hurt someone! =P

And to those of you who want to know when Haku is going to show up, well, let's just say that I'm getting impatient as well and leave it at that. I have long Author's Notes, ne? Please R&R!!! =)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Spirited Away. It belongs to Miyazaki-san and Studio Ghibli. I am not making any money from this. I am only writing for my own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of people who take the time to read my writings. Please do not sue as I am under 18 and do not, by law, own anything.

Enjoy yourself. =)

~*~*~*~*~*~

Images floated through her mind as Chihiro slipped in and out of her dreamworld. The heavenly illusion of her parents hugging her once more was interrupted occasionally by the voice that had saved her. '_Lin..._' she remembered. There were times when she knew what went on around her, and yet, she could not bring herself to open her eyes. She saw fleeting visions of Lin's face and the face of what looked like an elderly man. There was an occasional kind hand that fed her and poured some water into her parched throat, and she allowed tears to slip out of her closed eyes as a way of expressing her thanks for being looked after with such care. 

~*~*~

Chihiro's eyes fluttered open as she woke up to the sound of grinding and to heat that was almost unbearable. She felt a thick comforter over her and moved to kick it off to relieve herself of some of the heat that seemed to stifle her. As her vision began to focus on her surroundings, she lifted her head a bit and saw a wall that reached all the way up to the ceiling which hovered high above the ground. She blinked as she noticed notches and cracks in the wall, and she suddenly realized that the thing she was looking at was more than just a wall. It was a wall that had drawers inserted into it, and she was more than sure about what the drawers contained. 

She sat up and stretched as the grinding noise in the background continued. She twisted her upper body around to the right to be greeted by the familiar sight of the back of the boiler man who had stuck his neck out for her so many years ago. Turning back a bit, she noticed the susuwatari hard at work as they trudged to and fro from their little homes, bearing coal that weighed many times more than they did. She couldn't help but smile at the cuteness that they displayed when they waved and squeaked at her on their way back to get more coal. 

There was a sudden dinging sound and a metallic clanking as she turned again to see Kamaji pound a hammer against the metal crank that rested at his side. The susuwatari scurried back to their homes to rid themselves of their workload and all but trampled each other in an effort to get near Chihiro. They all gathered around her and squeaked in excitement at the prospect of one of their favorite people feeling better than when she first arrived. All she could do was look around and smile at the loveable and selfless soot balls.

Upon hearing Kamaji clear his throat, Chihiro turned to her left to face the wise old boiler man with the 6 arms. She smiled gratefully at him, for she knew that this was the elderly man that she had seen taking care of her whenever she was somewhat conscious. His bushy mustache was now peppered with strands of gray hairs that had found their own place among the brown hairs of his youth. There were a number of wrinkles that had made a new home on his forehead, but when he spoke to her, his voice carried the same grandpa-like quality and warmth that she remembered from 10 years ago.

"I see that you're better now, Chihiro," he mused with a slight nod. "Lin and I were worried, and as you can see, they were worried about you too," he said as he pointed to the susuwatari. He reached up onto the platform on which he worked and brought down the teakettle that held his water supply. He took a cup that was situated on a tray next to them and poured some water into it. He offered it to Chihiro who took it and sipped it until it was all gone. She handed the cup back to him with a hushed "Thank you," and they all sat there for awhile in silence as the fire in the boiler continued to roar. With a sudden movement, Chihiro turned and hugged the old spirit around his neck as she would have if he were actually her grandfather. She felt him return the hug, and she smiled. Despite her best efforts to contain it, a tear slipped out of her eyes and soaked into the old one's shoulder. She finally felt like she had returned home.

There was a sudden dinging and clacking sound, and both turned to see that several bath tokens had been sent down at the same time. Growling, Kamaji rushed over and got on his platform. He was about to beat his hammer against the crank again, but the susuwatari were already hard at work bringing coal to feed the raging fire that was contained within the boiler. This was all routine for them now. Chihiro sat on the bedding and watched as the little soot balls and their master worked to prepare bath water for the numerous guests that visited the bathhouse. Kamaji's 6 arms went in all directions, opening drawers, taking different herbs out, closing them, and moving on without so much as a glance behind him. It was amazing how he remembered what each of the numerous drawers contained and how to use them to make the different types of bath water for each specific bath token. As Chihiro pondered over how Kamaji kept all of this information in his head, she heard the small door in the wall slide open.

"Chow time!" called a familiar voice.

Chihiro turned her head to see Lin miraculously make her way through the small doorway with her arms full of food for the occupants of the boiler room. Chihiro got up to rush over to help relieve the burden, but Lin just shook her head at her and told her to sit down. Chihiro obeyed and sat back down as Lin straightened up and made her way over to where she sat. Setting down all of the food she carried, she crouched down in front of Chihiro and gave the young woman a hug. 

"We were really worried about you, Sen," she said as she pulled away, "Don't you _ever_ do that to us again!"

"I won't," Chihiro said with a smile, "As long as you promise to call me Chihiro."

"Ah, so that's your real name," Lin said, returning the smile, "It suits you very well."

Just then, they both heard the sound of Kamaji pulling on the last few bath tokens to send them back up along with the bath water that they each called for. Telling the susuwatari to take a break, he picked up an empty bowl from the platform and made his way down to join Chihiro as Lin got up to feed the little soot balls their sugar stars. Kamaji put his empty bowl from the night before on one of the trays that Lin brought in and picked up one that actually contained food. As he was about to take his first bite of food, he heard Lin yell at him from where she was squatting to feed the susuwatari.

"Not yet, old man!" she scolded, "Don't you at least have the decency to wait for the person who brought you the food to join you?" 

Grumbling, the old boiler man brought his chopsticks down from his open mouth and set them on his bowl to wait impatiently for Lin to hurry up. But right then, food was the last thing on Chihiro's mind as she stared at Lin's back. 

"Hey Lin! What's that thing on your back?" she called. 

Lin stood up from her squatting position as she dumped the rest of the sugar stars on the susuwatari and returned to Chihiro's side.  She put down the bucket that had held the sugar stars and sat down beside Chihiro, telling the grumbling Kamaji to start on his dinner if he was really all that hungry. Not wasting even a second, Kamaji picked up his bowl and began to hungrily gobble down his food. Chihiro didn't blame him one bit; it was hard work to take care of another person. She turned her attention back to Lin, who was taking off the bundle that she had been carrying on her back. Chihiro's eyes grew big as she saw a tiny little hand reach out from the folds. Her eyes grew even bigger as Lin unwrapped the bundle to reveal an adorable little baby boy who was sound asleep.

"Lin!" Chihiro breathed, "You're a mother!"  
  
"Sure am!" Lin said proudly, "He's the light of my life." She bent down to place a soft kiss on her son's head and straightened up to smile at Chihiro's shocked face. "His name is Aki," Lin said in answer to the question that glittered in Chihiro's eyes, "You want to hold him?"

Chihiro nodded wordlessly and took the little one into her arms and just stared at his peaceful sleeping face. It was hard to believe that things could change so much even though 10 years had passed. 

"Let's eat!" she heard Lin say, "You must be awfully hungry."  
  
Chihiro's stomach growled in response, and she set Aki down gently on the bedding as she felt her face turn red. Lin gave her a bowl filled with food and took one that she had brought for herself. The 3 of them talked as they ate to catch up on the 10 years that had gone by and to reminisce about the time when Chihiro had first arrived. They continued to talk long after their meal was finished, interrupted occasionally by a bath token that was sent down by someone who needed water for a customer. Chihiro had Aki in her arms again and was lightly stroking his cherubic face when a question made its way into her head.

"Hey Lin?" she started in a small voice.

"What?"

"Who's his father?"

Lin remained quiet for awhile. As she began to give an answer, a pained look made its way across her face.

"His father," she said quietly, "is a minor god who came to the bathhouse over 2 years ago. He stayed here for quite a long time, saying that he needed to recuperate from the effect humans were having on him, and I fell in love with him." Lin's eyes began to get a misty haze in them as she told her story to Chihiro. "He was charming and very, very handsome. I'm not saying that looks do it for me because they don't, but he was different than all of those superficial humanoid spirits that tried to hit on me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that he, a powerful deity, felt the same way about me, a lowly servant spirit. 

"We were always together from then on. He'd always ask for my company and paid off those who objected and tried to get me to go do something else. He told me one night that he had to leave the next day, but that he would come back to get me one day because he loved me more than anything in the world. He made love to me that night, and it was the happiest night that I could ever hope to have. When I woke up the next morning, all that was left was this ring…" 

Lin pulled out a small chain from under her clothes that had a ring strung on it and stared at the small gem that it contained. "That was over a year ago. Aki was born less than a year later," she continued as she stared at the ring in her hand, "I named Aki after his father, just so that he'll always know that his father is in him somewhere." A small tear escaped from her eye and she wiped it away hastily. Tucking the ring back into her clothes, she gave Chihiro a happy, yet teary-eyed smile. "He'll come back someday," she said quietly, "And I'll wait here with our child until that day comes…" 

Chihiro sat and pondered over what Lin had just told her while the sounds of Kamaji and the susuwatari working continued in a dull roar in the background. The moment was shattered as she felt Aki stir in her arms and start to cry. Not knowing what to do because she'd always been an only child, she gave him to Lin and watched as she calmed him and eventually stopped his crying. The love that can only be shared between a mother and her child shined in Lin's eyes as she sang to her little one, and Chihiro felt her eyes tear up as she remembered her own mother and how she used to hold Chihiro in her arms whenever she had a nightmare. 

Pushing her tears back, she crawled over and settled next to Lin to get a look at little Aki doing something other than sleeping. He was gurgling happily as his mother tickled him gently but stopped to stare at the strange lady that sat next to his mother. Chihiro smiled at the look of curiosity that was etched on his face and waved her hand in front of him. She put her finger on his tummy and gently tickled him, making him squeal in delight. 

"He looks just his father," Lin chuckled, "There was no need to even name him after his father to see that he's in him somewhere."

Chihiro took Aki into her arms once again and held him in the crook of her arm to look him over. Indeed, he hardly looked like Lin at all. The fuzz that grew on top of his head was a blondish-brown color, but as she looked closer, Chihiro noticed how his little face curved gently, just like his mother's did. His eyes were definitely not his mother's brown ones. Although they shared the same intensity, they were of a mysterious shade of green that definitely wasn't common in the human world, or the Spirit World for that matter. _Green eyes… _

Chihiro finally realized what had been bothering her throughout the evening and voiced the question that had finally surfaced in her mind. 

"Hey you guys, where's Haku?" she asked, looking at Lin and Kamaji who had settled himself next to them again.

The whole boiler room was suddenly quiet, save the sound of the fire in the boiler. Kamaji and Lin had both looked away from Chihiro to stare at something interesting that only they could see. The susuwatari blinked simultaneously and quieted down as well. Aki began to gurgle, causing Lin to look at him, and then up at Chihiro with a look that showed worry, sadness, and pity all at once.

"What?" Chihiro asked, her voice rising with apprehension, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know how to explain this," Lin started in a hushed tone, "But… he disappeared on the same day that you left to return to your own world…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** DON'T KILL MEEE~~~!!! **runs into a titanium bomb shelter with 4 inch thick walls and a window made of bulletproof glass 3 inches thick** **peers out cautiously through window** In compensation, I'll _make sure_ that Haku appears in the next chapter!!! Where is Haku you ask? He's in here with me!!! **Haku appears beside her and waves** Eek!!! Put that rocket launcher away!!! It's just a cardboard cut-out!!! **turns cut-out around so that everyone can see** Do you think I have enough air in here for _two people? Wait, how much air __is in here…? …………**passes out** x_x _


	4. Part 4: Hidden Prisoner

**_Chapter 4: Hidden Prisoner_**

_By, azngurlenluv_

**A/N: **Here is Chapter 4! Sorry it took so long… I never thought that I could write anything that would go beyond 2 or 3 chapters, but here it is! There are even more chapters after this!!! EEKNESS!!! OOH!!! Shameless self-advertising here: I recently wrote another fanfic for SA and would most appreciate it if you were to read that and offer your opinion. It's a one-shot fanfic just to let you know because I think I made it seem as if there might be a continuation… It's called "Nothing Else Matters" btw.

TO EVERYONE: This is the long -awaited chapter in which Haku's whereabouts are given! **crowd cheers** Yep, yep, yep! The plot that is unraveling in my head is actually drawing me in as well… Ooh… o_O Well, I hope you all enjoy!

To those of you who threatened to kill me, a.k.a. those who just wanted me to continue: I'VE CONTINUED!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!! Although, it'll be about a month until I can get another chapter up… But hey! It's not my fault that my grandparents don't have a computer!

ElvenPrincessOfLegolas: Hello, oh faithful reviewer! Very glad that you liked my other story, but very sorry that it made you all sad and junk… ;_; Thanks for being first reviewer, though! ^^

GundamNymph: Ara, ara… At last! Another person who is constantly high on sugar!!! Now that I know what a plot bunny is, I must invent a way to ward them off when I need my rare moment of sanity! Thanks for being one of the first to review my other story. I don't think I want to make a sequel to it or anything because I'm content to leave it as it is… for now… But you're welcome to write your own sequel if you want to. How about a collab? And yes, I love Haku as well. Don't we all? ^^ I'll inform you the moment I invent a cloning machine so that we can all have our very own Haku! ;D

p4: I'm developing the plot some more, so watch out! And I always tend to end my chappies with cliffhangers… But I guess they do their job at leaving everyone hanging, ne? 

I don't have a name, I'm just making this up!: Ogino? I have no idea whether that's her last name or not, but other fanfic writers seem to use that as her last name, so I thought, why not? 

YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: I don't know if spirits can have babies or not… But then I figured, they're humanoid spirits, humans can have babies, so I figured that they probably can too! ^^ 

Sorry I haven't answered everybody personally, but there are so many of you! I'm very happy that you like my story though, and thanks very much for taking the time to review! ^^

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Spirited Away or anything that is associated with it. They all belong to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. I am not making any money off of this. Please don't sue because all you will get from me is a blank stare. o_O

~*~*~*~*~*~

Silence echoed throughout the boiler room as Chihiro stared in disbelief at Lin. Her mouth opened and closed, but nothing passed her lips for there were no words she could find to express her shock. Her shock faded, allowing anger and hurt to come in and take its place. 

'He lied,' she thought, 'He asked me to wait for him… It's been 10 years since he disappeared, and he hasn't even bothered to come for me.'

She felt tears slip from her eyes and buried her face in her hands. Lin scooted over to her and put her arms around the shaking young woman. More bath tokens were sent down, and Kamaji was called away to do his job as the 'slave to the boiler.' 

"He lied!" Chihiro sobbed into Lin's shoulder, "He said we'd meet again! Did he even care about me?!"

She continued to sob into and soak Lin's shoulder, and Lin could find no other way to comfort her than to just let her cry and pat her on the back. Her cries stopped as she felt hands grip her shoulders from behind, and she was turned around to face Kamaji who had a very stern look on his face. 

"You can't say that," he began, "You know just as well as I do that Haku is not the kind of person to break a promise, especially since he made it to you. You know how important you are to him, and I will not stand by and watch you doubt his integrity when it's clearer than anything how much you care for him."

Chihiro silently nodded and wiped away the tears that lingered on her cheeks. She gave a weak smile though she still felt like crying. Lin suddenly gave a loud exclamation and clapped her hands together. With a puzzled look on her face, Chihiro stared as Lin stood up and offered her hand to Chihiro to help her up.

"Now that you've come back here, you gotta go sign another contract with Yubaba to work here," Lin explained, "Otherwise, she might follow through with her policy and turn you into whatever she likes even though it's clear that you were her favorite. She's become meaner and stricter with the past 10 years, and you never, ever want to get on her bad side, although I can't figure out why you would want to do it in the first place…"

Chihiro nodded her consent and helped to clean up the small mess that they had made with their long, drawn out meal. After Lin had strapped little Aki to her back, they each took up a tray and bid goodbye to Kamaji who waved them off with a familiar, "Good luck" and 2 thumbs up. 

"You don't have to tail me so closely this time," Lin said with a smile, "After being sick for almost a week and being fed our food, no one's going to notice that you're a human."

They made their way up to the top floor, Chihiro turning her head every which way to take in the familiar scenery. It was funny how some things changed and some things remained the same over such a long period of time. The interior of the bathhouse was still wooden and painted red in most places, and nothing about the way things were run had changed. 

There was as much hustle and bustle as there always was. Spirits and gods could be seen being led to and from the baths, and even more were in the various rooms that branched off from the corridors, drinking and laughing in their own strange ways. They finally reached the elevator that would take them to the top, and this time, both of them got on. When they reached the top floor, Lin gave Chihiro a reassuring hug and closed the elevator door to go back down, and Chihiro was left to face Yubaba on her own as she had done so many years ago.

She approached the familiar hideous doorknocker and did as it had reprimanded her to do when she had tried to force her way in when she was younger. In answer to her knock, the knocker rolled its eyes and spoke:

"Back again are we?" came Yubaba's voice through the mouth of the knocker, "You're not as scrawny as you used to be… Well, come in then."

The double doors opened to reveal several other sets of doors that opened one after the other, and not wanting to be pulled in by magic again, Chihiro walked briskly through them to have them close and lock themselves behind her. After turning a couple of corners, she came to face the familiar door that led to the office of Yubaba.

The door opened on its own, and she stepped through them and walked to the center of the room. Turning, she saw Yubaba sitting at her desk with her head rested on her hand. The 3 green heads rolled over to circle and bounce around Chihiro's feet, and she glared down at them as she remembered what they had almost done to Haku when he came to Yubaba 10 years ago, bleeding and dying from the inside.

"I want a job here, please," Chihiro said looking up at Yubaba, her voice many times more confident than when she had stepped into this same room for the first time. 

"I thought so," Yubaba replied with no change in her demeanor, "You still owe me a lot of gold for all the damage you caused here the first time. Why should I let you work here with all the trouble you caused here?"

"Because you took and oath to give work to anyone who asked," Chihiro replied with a look of ice, "And this time, I want to keep my name; you cannot control me. I will sign a contract, but I refuse to give you my name. I never plan to return to my world, so you don't have to worry about me being able to escape with the knowledge that having my name will give me."

Yubaba looked long and hard at Chihiro. The girl radiated confidence and determination, and Yubaba did not feel like challenging her just yet.

"Very well," she muttered, waving a finger at a bin full of papers. A sheet of paper extracted itself from the pile and floated over to Chihiro with a pen trailing after it.

Chihiro took the both of them from the air and bent over near the fireplace to sign it. When she was done, she straightened up and brought the contract over to the wrinkled sorceress herself. Yubaba took the contract and put her glasses on to examine it. Seemingly satisfied, she put the contract into another pile of papers and looked up at Chihiro.

"You'll know how to show yourself out of here, I suppose," she said nonchalantly.

"Yes ma'am," Chihiro answered with the same ice cold stare at the old, leather-faced sorceress.

With a wave of her hand, Yubaba dismissed Chihiro from her quarters. Silence settled upon the room for several moments as the old sorceress stared into the roaring fire, a smirk growing on her face. The 3 green heads sat in silence next to the fireplace and exchanged puzzled looks amongst themselves, but at the sound of Yubaba's chair sliding out from beneath the desk, they looked up to see the witch approaching them.

With small grunts, they moved out of the way of their mistress who was so easily angered and resettled themselves on a red satin armchair that was situated near the fireplace. She paused at the fireplace, and with a flick of her wrist, the fire that had been burning with such intensity went out in no less than a second.

Her hand drifted over to the candleholder that stood to the leftmost side on the mantle above the fireplace. Her fingers curled around the candle that it held and she gave it a quick twist. There was a sound of stone grinding against stone, and the fireplace itself began to shift to the right.

When it came to a stop, a passageway was revealed that had been hidden by the fireplace when it was in its former position. Stone steps could be seen leading down into the darkness of the passageway. Yubaba descended these steps, pointing her finger at random torches to light her way as she went down. 

Down, down, down she went, and still the steps continued with no place to get off. It seemed to take hours, but eventually, the sorceress reached the bottom. There was but a single metal door there that was bolted and sealed with magic that would have repelled anything that touched it except for the person who cast the spell on it or one of their own blood. 

A wave of a hand later and the bolts were all dislodged. The door creaked open, and Yubaba stepped through it into another passageway, but to the left and right of this particular passageway, there were bars that separated it from cells that were meant to hold prisoners of the power-hungry sorceress. 

Skeletons of different shapes could be seen in some of the cells as she walked leisurely down the passageway. She paused in front of a particular cell and peered in at its occupant. All the way in the back of the cell, there was a figure that was crumpled up on the ground. It was of the shape of a young man, and his shirtless back was riddled with scars and gashes that had yet to heal properly. 

"Get up!" Yubaba demanded of the figure.

He remained there, still and silent as if he were dead. The only thing that gave him away was the rise and fall of his body as he breathed. A growl escaped the lips of the sorceress, and pointing her finger at him, she made him rise into the air. With a beckoning motion of her finger, she made him drift toward her and turned his body so that he faced her. 

"How are we today?" she asked menacingly, staring straight into a face that showed nothing but contempt for her.

In response, the humanoid spirit spit in her face and glowered at her through eyes of green venom that glittered with utter hatred. Wiping her face in distaste, Yubaba then smirked at him. She sent a piercing gaze at him through her brown eyes. 

Seconds later, cries of pain were heard throughout the dungeon as the spirit's body was slashed over and over again by invisible knives that Yubaba's magic seemed to have conjured up. When she decided that he had had enough, Yubaba dropped the spirit onto the floor of the cell.

"I told you I would tear you apart," she said as if she were explaining the matter to a toddler, "I never thought you would live through all of it, but that just makes it more enjoyable for me. Oh, and guess what my dearest Haku?"

Haku had propped himself up with his arms. Blood flowed freely from his open wounds, and he coughed up some more onto the floor of the cell. He glared at the sadistic sorceress through his hair. 

"What?" he growled venomously as he spat up some more blood and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand. 

"Your precious Chihiro has found her way back into this world again," she cackled, "Maybe I should find a reason to keep her down here so you two can be together…"

There was a loud clanging noise as Haku lunged at the evil witch through the bars because he knew all too well what the prisoners in this dungeon were subjected to. She had backed up to stay out of reach of Haku's vengefulness, but laughed at his seemingly useless efforts. Waving her hand again, she conjured up a tray full of food in his cell. She liked to keep her entertainment well-fed and alive. 

She moved away from his cell to make the long journey up the endless stone steps, cackling louder than he had ever heard her before.  Haku slumped down onto the cold stone floor next to the tray of food in defeat. Silent tears slipped out of his eyes to mix with his blood on the floor as he prayed fervently to the gods to keep the one he still loved out of the clutches of the power-hungry monster that ran the bathhouse… 

~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** No anime guys were hurt in this last scene! Call it 'movie magic!' **mob gathers around to hurt the author** No!!! Haku is just fine! I would never be able to subject such a loveable character to such pain! See?! **Haku emerges from his dressing room, smiling and waving with not so much as a scratch on his… ahem… masculine physique** I kept my promise, and Haku did appear in this chapter, so you can't get me for that!!! But I bet you were all expecting the fateful reunion thing, huh? That'll be in my next chapter. I promise. Oh, and this will probably be my last post until August. I'll be on my way to Oklahoma to stay for a month with my grandparents pretty soon. They don't have a computer… I know. I don't want to go either, but they're my grandparents. What can I do? Please stick with me because I promise to post as soon as I get back! ^^ Oh, and as always, I'd very much appreciate it if you R&R. Happy 4th of July to everyone! 


	5. Part 5: Assisted Reunion

****

**_Chapter 5: Assisted _****_Reunion_****__**

_By, azngurlenluv_

**A/N:** AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! **runs away from angry mob of SA fans** I'm SO sorry this didn't get up earlier, but I've been lazy. That's the only reason I can give you, I'm sorry to say. Wait, and I've also lost momentum… I was going to watch SA again to become inspired, but I let my friend borrow it yesterday, so, meh… School started too, so I guess that's another reason. Being an honors student means a lot of schoolwork. So here's the long-awaited Chapter 5. I think it's shoddy, but I wanted to post it sometime in August. Since September is only 2 days away, I figured I might as well write it today before I get swept away by Labor Day weekend.

I figure that I won't answer reviews this time. I'm anxious to get this up, but I just want to thank you all for sticking with me and waiting patiently despite the fact that I am very lazy. **bows humbly**

**Disclaimer:** Me no own Spirited Away! Miyazaki-san do! He make money. Me broke. No sue me. Me broke.!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chihiro was reaccepted into the bathhouse with no objections. Her service to the famous river god that came years ago made her well-liked among the workers, despite the fact that she had led No-Face into the bathhouse who wreaked havoc and consumed almost everything and everyone. She was also well-known among the bathhouse visitors, and became one of the most on-demand workers at the bathhouse. She was requested for constantly and worked from dusk till dawn, where she usually collapsed into her bedding with no time to think about anything.

It began to rain one night, so business slowed down, giving Chihiro considerable time to talk to everyone and become reacquainted. The women there all knew of the little thing Chihiro and Haku had felt for one another, and they loved to talk to her about it. They questioned her about when she knew that she loved him and sighed at every slightly romantic thing she mentioned, wishing to find love for themselves one day. Chihiro, in turn, questioned them about his whereabouts. She wanted to know when they last saw him, and the only information they could offer her was that they last heard of him when he went to the top floor to meet with Yubaba.

As the night turned to dawn, everything in the bathhouse shut down. Yubaba was seen flying away from the bathhouse in her bird form, and everyone else went to sleep; everyone except Chihiro. Chihiro sat there on the balcony outside of her room that she shared with a number of other women in the bathhouse, thinking of nothing more than Haku. She feared the worst for him, pondering over the fact that he was last seen walking into the quarters of an evil sorceress. She sighed and watched the sun's light glisten off of the water all around them from the recent rain. She noticed something flying about in the wind, and turned her attention to it, hoping that maybe…

As it came closer, she saw that it was nothing more than something that looked like a bird. It drifted closer to her, and she gasped as she saw that it was just a piece of paper shaped slightly like a bird. She scrambled up to her feet and reached out to beckon it towards her, knowing full well the sender of the paper bird: Zeniba. 

It came closer and landed on the balcony beside Chihiro. Suddenly, the transparent image of Yubaba sprang up, but the kindly eyes showed that it wasn't Yubaba, but her twin sister. Chihiro was happy to see Zeniba again, and she was about to give the image a flying hug before she remembered that it was nothing but a transparent image and that she would injure herself if she were to come flying at it.

Instead, she smiled brightly at seeing the counterpart of Yubaba. "Granny!" she exclaimed, "How have you been?"

The image of Zeniba smiled at Chihiro in a granny-like way. "I'm just fine, dear," she answered, sounding more like a grandma with each passing breath, "I heard, or rather, felt, that you had come back, so I wanted to drop by, in a sense, and see how you were doing."

Chihiro smiled gratefully, happy that she had yet another person in this world that cared about her. _Someone to care about her… _Chihiro got a pained look on her face. Her hands began to clench and unclench, a tear or two escaping from her eyes. The impact of all of her sorrows and worries finally hit her, being as they were pushed away for a few days because of her busy schedule. 

More tears flowed from her eyes as she brought her hands up to her face. "I'm NOT o.k…" Chihiro said, muffled by her hands, "I came all the way back here. I left my world forever. And HE'S not here! Worst of all, no one knows _why he isn't here, so now, I'm worried. I miss him so much…" Chihiro continued to cry, her breathing becoming ragged and short._

Zeniba could do nothing but look on at the poor girl, but then a thought struck her. "Wait, you're talking about that dragon boy… Haku, right?" Zeniba started. Chihiro nodded, and in turn received a rather sharp gasp from the sorceress. Looking up from her hands, Chihiro saw Zeniba with a forlorn expression on her face. 

"…What?" she asked, the feeling of dread rising in her. Zeniba stood there for a minute, and then opened her mouth to speak. "My dear," she said, "I'm sorry to say this, but Haku is still here. He's being held captive by my sister…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** I'M NOT DONE!!! The chapter title will fit. I will add more later!!! I'm just tired and I want to make my August deadline that I set like, a month or so ago. Sorry that it's sort of short and not as well written as the other chapters… I wanted to get this up before tonight, though… I WILL edit, so don't fret. I've found another excuse for not writing this chapter earlier: my friend got me into role-playing. I role-play at www.tsukitejina.com. Peoples there are nice, and if you decide to join, then Private Message me using their mail system in there. My name in there is Kasumi Aoyama. Oh, and as to what kind of role-playing it is, it's basically a magic school, ala Harry Potter. It's not Harry Potter though, but its own entity. There are some borrowed terms and everything, but it's basically very original. And if you're already on there, then PM me telling me your character's name on there. Alrighty? I'm outie, home dog! **grins** Till next time.


	6. And Here I Return Bearing a Message

And here I return… Well, to tell you guys that this story is going on hiatus for awhile. I'm SORRY! ((ducks the barrage of rotten tomatoes, fruits, other foods… and a shoe))

I really have no other excuse for myself other than I am a slacker and have been extremely busy since my last update back in 2003… ((stares at the year and smacks herself))

I started this story my freshman year of high school after **Spirited Away** came out because I was so enraptured by it. Don't get me wrong. I still love the movie to death. However, that was before my schedule picked up. Right now, I'm a high school junior balancing 5 AP classes and 2 honors classes all in the same day. So please forgive me if I haven't been able to do much with this.

When I will continue is pretty indefinite… I would like to say that I would like to do a lot this summer, but I can't promise it. I have to do college applications, essays, summer school to get rid of that lone PE credit that I don't think anyone really needs… My sincerest apologies to everyone who's been waiting for the next part.

I thank you all so much for still giving me reviews despite the fact that this story is as old as dirt. The lone review that trickles into my inbox everyday always works to renew my motivation to try to write, but somehow, I haven't been able to. And for that, I am truly so sorry about it because they are the ones that make me want to write, if not for my sake, than for your enjoyment.

Some changes will be made once I start up again, though. First off, this will be made PG-13. I can't do the lemon. I can't find a place where it would fit. And for some reason, I really can't put the innocence of the child-like characters of Chihiro and Haku into such a situation. Granted, they are aged in my story, but the image doesn't fit.

And my biggest ambition after my next installment will be to rewrite everything. What I wrote then embarrasses the crap out of me. It reads so cornily to me now. Yes, I know 'cornily' is not a word, but that's the only way I can find to describe it. And plus, I'm taking a college English class now, so I can find some way to make it sound better, I hope.

I thank you all so much for, well, being somewhat patient with me throughout these 2 years of me disappearing off the face of the cybernetic world. I hope to return as soon as possible to finish this story. Don't worry, though. I still haven't forgotten where I wanted to take this story.

With all of my creative love,  
azngurlenluv


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